Once upon a time...
These images are screenshots I took on my phone some time ago when my internet wasn't working. It is a saved page (don't know why) from April 29th 2017, exactly three months after I joined Steemit and 14 months ago to this day. Price of Steem had tripled in the last 6 weeks and was riding high at 25 cents, 1/5th of today's price. I have these on an Imgur account and sometimes when I cross their path, I tend to reminisce. These were the good times...
They weren't good times because of the price as at this point, I had only just started trading and I had no idea what I was doing. And they weren't good times because back then engagement was high, just look at the comment counts. And they definitely weren't good times because the user interface was beautiful and, there was no night mode.
What made them good times was my ignorance to it all, my lack of understanding of what was actually going on and the feeling that I was really getting somewhere, that even though engagement was low, I was making inroads on my account, developing a future while developing myself. When I look back at these times, it was here that I was made.
You can see that after 3 months here, my Reputation was 64 but, look at my follower count, 109. I have mentioned many times before, follower count doesn't matter, quality of follower matters. There is my proof of that experience. At that point, my post/comment count was 488 with over 100 direct posts. That meant I gained on average 1 follower a post and even then, some were bots and other lost newbies like myself. Many of those posts were cent returns or, zeroes.
But, after three months of struggle, I was finally starting to see results in the reward numbers too. It was around this time that I started really getting interested in the platform itself and learning all I could. I started working out what was what, started exploring much wider than before and, increased my posting rate to more than 1 a day. Of course I didn't fully realize it at the time but, it was these times that created the base for my future here.
The interesting thing was that much like now, people were depressed because price had dropped from over 4 dollars to 6 cents in the last 6 months or so. I didn't know that at the time though. After all of my new learning, all I knew was that if I was going to be able to do anything here in the future, 2 dollars a day wasn't going to cut it, I needed a better strategy, I needed the elusive Steem Power, I needed to invest but, I had nothing to invest with but more of my time and effort so, that became my currency.
Back then, there was no winning people over with a vote, my vote was dust and it wasn't until HF19 that it went from dust to a few cents and, that was with a few thousand Steem Power. It was a brilliant feeling to see my vote add value to someone's work though. Do you feel that now? I hear of people saying 'my vote is only worth cents' as if it is meaningless, it is not. Those cents matter. They might not change the world but, they can change your connection to the community, each vote has an effect.
People spend way too much time worrying about the price and much too little worrying about what they are building here and, who they are building it with. Some of those few comments on my posts back then are from people who I still interact with from time to time (although not as much as I would like), people like me who saw more here even though the actual earnings were low. They saw community.
Sure, you can say that I was able to earn cheap Steem however that is a cop out because, there was actually no guarantee (and I knew nothing anyway) that Steem would go up or last. The people who say that now are going to be the same kinds of people who in two years from now will say it when Steem is a lot higher and much harder to earn again.
Regardless of how you look at it and no matter the price, it takes commitment to power up, it takes commitment to consistently put in the effort. One thing I like about the blockchain is that, it is all there, all in the history, each link, committed. When I look at these pictures it reminds me that since this time, each day, every day, I have sunk myself into this platform over and over again and with all likelihood, I will do it tomorrow and the day after as well.
You don't have to take it seriously, you don't have to commit to anything in this life but, don't expect those that do to wait around while you umm and aah about whether it is worth your time or not because, that isn't worth their time. They have better things to do. It isn't their job to convince you to care or to look out for your future, that is your responsibility although, some just might give you a hand of support if you are lucky.
There is work to do to have a place here and if you aren't willing to do it, someone else will happily take your position and whatever that will mean for their future. There is more to it than writing good content or commenting well and much more to it than maximizing numbers for return. You want to know what that more is? Damn well find out for yourself and stop expecting things to be handed to you on a silver platter.
After all, you already have a golden ticket.
Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]
I remember those 'good ole days'!
Man, just looking at the white backgrounds of the image makes my retinas hurt in memory...
Haaaa yeahhhhhhh
...I still use the white background.... =/
Haha yeah, a very motivational trip worth a happy resteem. :)
And yeah, I also still use the white background. 😎
Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!! MY eyes!!!!!
But with that little upvotes and posts in 3 months, how you reached the reputation level 64? How many of your initial posts were in trending page back then?
I'm asking this because, even as I got relatively big upvotes in some of my posts, still my reputation is just 54! Was it easy to build reputation back then?
I think i got one low down in Trending with around 25 dollars :D
The people who were voting were higher reps than my own and even though values were relatively low, that mattered. I don't think it was easier to get.
@tarazkp I would shyly say am still in my first stage of your post today where the outcome of my posts is still "little", I would quote your word from this article "commitment" I would say goes a long way in everything we do, no matter how small when we are committed and consistent in our doings the outcomes are mostly positive. As a student with little source of income for data the little data and time I spent here in composing and commenting on post I would say have been "partially yielding".
This post I would say has really encouraged me tonight to be committed and consistent with steemit and that in few days to come I would be a good and great writer like @tarazkp and the likes.
Yes, you definitely have a track record.
Perhaps some of the people who are upset about how things are going for them are working with the idea that this was going to be easy. And then there's the issue that this is an opportunity to be part of something, not a promise that you are going to get something, or that Steemit somehow owes you something.
=^..^=
Opportunity is the thing all want but want it without effort. Most don't understand the costs of opportunity.
Whereas Steemit may be "unique" in its own ways, I think it bears remembering that pretty much any time there has been some kind of online venture where people could earn "rewards," it has historically been plundered by money for nothing seekers and scammers. Perhaps the only thing keeping Steemit afloat still is the fact that it works by community policing rather than centralized censorship and "rules."
I harbor no illusions that this is easy or that I am owed something. Something for something.
=^..^=
It would be nice if there was a little more community policing going on.
That wasn't directed at you :) Most in the world want to keep their options open by not committing but, want the benefits that commitment brings.
you can tell a lot and basically you do. you talk like a waterfall. i can't believe you don't have serious problems to solve in real life. you have a thousand good advice... think like that and act like that. but it's getting tiring. your investment here is completely screwed up. i wouldn't be surprised if in the not too distant future your family is no longer one because you have stressed them so extremely that they tear them apart. i don't know you personally, but it makes the impression on me that your life is happening far too much here on this platform. that can't be healthy in the longterm.
sry for being so personal. i've been following you for a while and read a lot. i care about the sum of the parts, not the parts themselves. just wanted to share that.
lol, I think you are projecting. I might write a post about it.
I have issues like anyone else in this world.
my issue is probably not that i'm projecting here. but i'm open minded and yes, a post about it would be interesting. there are certainly more people who care about it. it's an important topic, even if not particularly popular. we're all addicted somehow :-)
It is so great to see small snippets of your past journey here. The ups and downs really do not bother me as that is just the nature of markets.
I find it extremely interesting about followers and I agree so much. If I had 15-20 of my "followers" actually be engaging and supporting I would be a superstar! lol As it is now I'm lucky if 5-10 read and engage on a regular basis.
Thanks for sharing a bit of a window into your journey here.
It takes time and perhaps back then, there were more 'engaged eyes of quality' in the pool. For me to get the comments I do though has taken a lot of work and I am glad that I did it because it makes the effort put into writing that much more worth it. People often get stuck on the numbers but there is a the experience of it too.
''Occasional writer''😂 In all seriousness cheers for the inspirational story as always.
yeah... i had to change that :D
It's always nice to look back and reflect on how much things have changed here in such a little bit of time. It's crazy! Great blog topic to help us remind ourselves how far Steem has come. Good thing you still had those screenshots! :-) See you around @tarazkp
it has come a long way even though visually, not very far. the entire feel of the place has changed in my opinion and in some ways it is better, some much worse.
Simply extraordinary, motivates, motivates, motivates to see that if you could, I can. Your trip has been exquisite and you have been focused on the fact that if there is a future, you should only work. You are admirable, and I know that you will grow much more.
Hi Taraz. I think this is probably one of your most informative posts you have done. Hopefully it will inspire others who are waning and open their eyes to what is possible with commitment and hard work.
I still laugh at you calling yourself an occasional writer. maybe at the time you were but you are more than occasional now. Like you I don't have the tools to shortcut by investing and powering up but one of these days I will.
I changed it a few months after this to 'continual writer' because it started to get out if hand. :D
It happens a lot without thinking about something we see some pictures and they bring us memories, Those captures served to remind you of the path you have traveled in Steemit. Everyone here has a golden ticket, which many want so everything to take care of and keep it.
Friend, I love your publication, it gives me a lot of encouragement, sometimes I feel bad because my vote is nothing :( and sometimes it makes me sad to vote ... It's good that you have mastered the platform well, I still do not understand many things but I am already starting to publish more, my pc was in repair for 2 weeks and with the phone I was just making comments, I hope to increase my daily publications and be able to make my voting power go up ... when I see that I have to reach more than 2000 SP wao ... I see it far :(
Thanks for this post :)
It is amazing how things have changed in such a short time and it was a good idea to keep these memories. I see many people also depressed now because of the steem price, but I am sure that it will go high again. The question will always remain when!
The entire market is down so why worry? It'll return at some point so for now, make some Steem.
Absolutely!
What was a nice bit of time travel in a little time capsule.
Very very true. I wonder where I'd be a year from now...
Wow the steem price was very low at that time. I am new here and still confused like you have been last year 😁
Nice to see how far you've come and it is a good motivation and teaching for the rest of us. Thanks mate
You got a 32.21% upvote from @ocdb courtesy of @tarazkp!
It qould be nice if people who could put a little into some steem now. It would make a difference later.
I think it will.